Thera 2.40: Kappata-kura
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(160):Kappata-kura Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =160. Kappaṭa-kura= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī in poor circumstances, the only way he knew of to support himself was to go about, clad in rags, pan in hand, seeking for rice-grains1 Hence he became known as Kappaṭa-kura - 'Rags-and-rice.' When grown up, he maintained himself by selling grass. Reaping this one day in the forest, he saw a Thera. Doing obeisance he sat down near him, and heard him teach the Path(Dhamma). Then be believed, and saying 'What to me is this wretched mode of life?' he entered the Monk’s order, bestowing his ragged cloth in a certain place. And when repugnance his new life arose in him, he would go and look at the rags and feel unsettled. So doing, he seceded seven times from the Monk’s order. Then the bhikkhus(monks) told the Exalted One(Buddha) of this. And he one day, when Kappaṭa-kura, as bhikkhu, sat in the preaching-hall at the edge of the congregation dozing, addressed him in these verses: ---- 199 Ayamiti kappaṭo kappaṭakuro acchāya atibharitāya|| Amataghaṭikāyaɱ dhammakatamatto katapadaɱ jhānāni ocetuɱ.|| || 200 Mā 26 kho tvaɱ kappaṭa pacālesi|| Mā taɱ upakaṇṇakamhi tāḷessaɱ,|| Naha tvaɱ kappaṭa mattamaññāsi|| Saŋghamajjhamhi pacalāyamāno' ti.|| || ---- 199 'These,' saith he, 'are the rags of Rags-and-Rice! Too heavy is the gear I'm wearing now.' Full measure of the Path(Dhamma) has he in shower Ambrosial; and yet no step he takes To practise meditative discipline. 200 O Kappata, you should not sway and nod, Nor make me cuff the word into your ear. Never a whit you, Kappata, have learned, Sleepily swaying amidst the listeners here.2 ---- Thus the Exalted One upbraided him strongly, as if He had pierced his very bones, as if a fierce elephant had gone down into his path. And he, greatly disturbed, established insight, and soon won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he repeated the verses which had been the goad that sent him to the goal, so that they became his declaration of aññā(supreme attainment). ---- 1 Kura, occurring once as kūra in the Commentary ( = in Childers and in Böhtlingk and Roth, 'boiled rice'), is probably wild rice in some form or other. Cf. sukkha-kūra in the Sutta-Vibhanga of the Vinaya, edition Oldenberg, iv., Pāc. 38, 1. 2 These verses remain not exactly the reverse of 'obscure sayings,' as Dr. Neumann calls them, even after the help of the legend. The Commentary, in both versions, is scarcely as lucid as usual; yet such explanation as it gives is, as ever, to show a situation of a simple and probable kind - the ragged loincloth, with its vagabond associations, supplying a Bohemian and pagan lure, making the more decorous yellow robos seem cumbrous, and the discipline irksome. The legend is a distinct addition to the 'human documents' of the Ordor's traditions. ---- =2.4-10 160 Commentary on the stanza of Kappaṭṭakuratthera= The stanza starting with Ayam iti kappaṭṭo constitutes that of the venerable Thera Kappaṭṭakura. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Glrious One Vipassī; on having attained the age of intelligence, he, one day, happened to have caught sight of the Blessed One, seated at the foot of a tree on the shore of a river named Vinatā, became pious-minded and made reverential offerings of Ketaka flowers. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirhts among divine and human beings, was reborn in a destitute family at Sāvathi, when this Buddha arose; until such time as he came of age, not knowing any other means (of livelihood), he dressed himself with a torn old garment (kappaṭakhaṇḍa nivāsano), and holding a cup (serāva), he wandered about here and there, in search of boiled-rice; on that account, he was known but as Kappaṭakura. When he came of age, he was leading his life by selling grass, when one day, for the purpose of reaping grass, he went to the forest, where he happened to see a certain Arahant, free from cankers, approached him, paid him his homage and sat himself down. The Thera taught the truth (dhamma) to him. Having heard the teaching of truth (dhamma) he aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, saying: “What is the use to me of this difficult livelihood,” and threw down the dirty clothe which he was wearing at a certain site. Whenever there arose displeasure to him, then when he looked at that old garment his displeasure disappeared; he aptly gained remorse. Doing in this manner, he bacame an ex-bhikkhu, seven times: The monks reported that matter about him to the Blessed One. Then, one day, the monk Kappaṭakura was seated at the all round end of the audience in the hall for the discussion of the dhamma; the Blessed One spoke two stanzas in order to urge him:– 199. “This monk Kappaṭakura, painful (acchaya) and overloaded (atibhāritāya) says: ‘This is my dirty dress’. In my jar of ambrosia (amatagahaṭikā), he is negligent (matto) of good (kaṭa) truth (dhamma), for developing (ocetuṃ) jhānas after having done the procedure (katapadaṃ). 200. “Indeed, O dirty dress! You should not be unsteady; do not let me beat you near your ear. Indeed, O Kappaṭa you did not understand the measure (matta), moving about in the midst of the clergy of monks.” There ayamiti kappaṭo kappaṭakuro means: the monk Kappaṭakura is with wild wrong thoughts arisen in this manner: “This is my dirty dress; having all round put it on I make my living somehow or other;” acchāya atibharitāya amataghaṭikāyaṃ means: when my pitcher of ambrosia (amataghaṭe) rain down its shower here and there, by means of this: “I do teach you to attain immortality (amata); I do teach the truth (dhamma),” “In the world which has become blndingly dark, I beat (āhañchaṃ) the drum (dundubhi) of immortality (amata),” etc.; having thus proclaimed (ghosetvā) and when the (rain of) immortal truth (dhammamate) is being showered down by me; katapadaṃ jhānāni ocetuṃ means: in order to accumulate (upacetuṃ) and develop the mandane (lokiya) and super-mundane (lokuttara) jhānas, the proceeded path (katapadaṃ), the right path (magga) for the development (bhāvanā) of the prepared (vihita) good (kata) path (magga): this is my dispensation (sāsanaṃ); dhammakaṭamatto means: likewise also Kappaṭakura is off his mind (apagatamānaso), being bored by my instructive (sāsana) teaching (dhamma): thus, having urged (codetvā) him, Buddha spoke the stanza starting with: “Mā kho tvaṃ kappaṭa pacāleni” in order to show him again his dwelling negligently similar to seizing a thief along with his stolen-property (sahoḍḍhaṃ) . There, mā kho tvaṃ kappaṭa pacālesi means: O Kappaṭakura! Having sat down saying that you would listen to my teaching of truth (dhamma), do not indeed be sleepy (pacālesi), do not waver, do not go off to sleep. Mā tvaṃ upakaṇṇambi tāḷessaṃ means: do not make me strike you sleeping, near your ear, by means of my hand of teaching (desanāhattha). According as I would not have to advise you from now subsequently for the avoidance of depravity, in that manner you should aptly practise (paṭipajjāhi); thus, is the meaning. Na hi tvaṃ kappaṭa mattamaññāsi Saṅghamajjhambi pacalayamāno means: moving amidst monks, O Kappata! Neither did you consider the extent and quantity nor did you understand this much also thus:– “This moment, extremely difficult to gain, has been aptly obtained; let not that moment pass away (fruitlessly);” see, now, what has been missed by you (te aparaddhaṃ); thus, Buddha urged. When, in this manner, by means of these two stanzas, he was being urged (codanāya katāya) after having been strongly censured (gāḷhaṃ niggayha) by the Blessed One, he became well striken with remorse resembling being pierced and perforated to the bone as well as similar to a violent elephant descending the road, placed himself towards developing spiritual insight and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–- “The most excellent of men dwelt on the shore of the river Vinatā. I saw the stainless Buddha, one-pointed and well composed. Pious-minded and good hearted, I then made my reverential offering of sweet- scented Ketaka flowers to Buddha the best. It was ninetyone aeons ago that I made my reverential offering of flower; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my reverential offering to Buddha. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, however, attained Arahantship, he reiterated the two self-same stanzas spoken by the Master, which had become the goad (aṅkusa) for the attainment of his own Arahantship. On that account that reiteration even became the revealation of his Arahantship (aññā). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Kappaṭakura is complete. The Commentary on the fourth Chapter is complete. ----